Air traffic: Hanover Airport temporarily closed due to drone
For the fourth time in a week, a drone sighting has disrupted air traffic in Northern Europe. This evening, Hanover Airport had to be temporarily closed due to a drone near the airport. According to a spokesperson for the Federal Police, a pilot spotted and reported the aircraft while on approach to Hanover.
The 45-minute closure in Hanover was lifted at 10:45 p.m. Some flights were delayed. According to the German Press Agency (dpa), a flight from Frankfurt to Hanover was diverted to Hamburg.
Meanwhile, in Belgium, authorities are investigating several drone sightings over airports and a military base on Tuesday evening. According to Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, investigators are still trying to determine the exact number of drones involved. The government in Brussels has scheduled an emergency meeting of the National Security Council for Thursday.
Following flight cancellations, operations at Brussels Airport Zaventem have now resumed. Approximately 80 flights were cancelled due to suspected drone sightings, and between 400 and 500 passengers had to spend the night at the airport.
In Liège, a major hub for cargo traffic with many night flights, flight operations were temporarily suspended on Tuesday night. Charleroi Airport, south of Brussels, was also affected. A spokesperson for Liège Airport called the incidents "worrying for national security."
Berlin and Bremen were also affected.Drone sightings have been increasing for weeks. At Bremen Airport, air traffic was briefly interrupted on Sunday evening due to a drone sighting. Last Friday, flight operations at Berlin's BER airport were suspended for almost two hours for the same reason.
Drones pose a safety risk in the vicinity of airports and are therefore prohibited within a 1.5-kilometer radius. Flying them within this area can be considered a dangerous interference with air traffic and is subject to severe penalties.
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